


The Royal Engagement

by katelai



Category: A Christmas Prince (2017)
Genre: Aldovia, Engagement, F/M, New York, Romance, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:22:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27351910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katelai/pseuds/katelai
Summary: A lot was left unsaid about what happened between Richard and Amber after they got engaged. Follow their story from that snowy New York evening up until Amber moves to Aldovia to marry Richard.
Relationships: Amber Moore/Richard II (A Christmas Prince)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> When I found out that there would be no A Christmas Prince 4 this year, I realized I needed to write something about them! Upon reviewing the first film I felt like there was a lot missing between when they got engaged and when Amber moved to Aldovia. This is that story.

_ December 25th _

“King Richard the second,“ Richard heard his mother, Queen Helena, state proudly from somewhere behind him. 

Holding a rock glass of whiskey in his hand, Richard stood staring out a window of his family’s sitting room, thinking of a blonde journalist who was not called Martha. The fireplace blazed and popped from the opposite wall, the palace staff having added new logs to it the moment Richard had taken residence against the window frame.

Breathing deeply, Richard tried to steady himself before responding. He knew he should be happy today, that’s what everyone expected of him, but the person he couldn’t stop thinking about had already left the country. Why hadn’t she stayed? There was so much he still didn’t know.

“Mother, please,” Richard said, turning to face the queen, forcing a smile for her. He was dressed in a deep blue tuxedo and had his red royal cross around his neck, the one he normally wore with his court uniform.

Queen Helena, wearing a regal blue lace gown with blue satin mantle, walked up to him and took his arm. They had both just come from a state Christmas dinner, celebrating his coronation, with those that could attend last minute during the holiday.

“You’re thinking of her,” the queen said, looking up at Richard’s face. 

“Martha…” he began and closed his eyes realizing he had misspoken. “Amber. I don’t know what to think, after everything that’s happened.”

Richard turned to look out the window. “She left so quickly.”

“She saved Aldovia from Simon,” his mother responded dryly, turning to sit in the nearest armchair. Richard sighed and set in the chair across from her.

“She helped me make up my mind,” Richard explained quietly, swirling the ice in his glass. “To become king. To want to  _ be _ king.”

“You fell in love with her,” Queen Helena said quietly, staring at her son.

Richard smiled sadly. “I don’t know who I fell in love with.”

He looked into the blazing fire. 

_ December 26th _

Camera flashes went off obscuring Richard’s vision. He willed himself not to squint or look away. He gripped the edges of the podium and schooled his features into what he thought was careful neutrality.

“King Richard!” reporters shouted at him, raising their hands in the full press room.

“Yes, please, you in the front,” he said, gesturing at a heavy set man with a mustache.

“Can you tell us about the journalist Amber Moore and how she managed to infiltrate the palace?”

Richard took a deep breath and looked at the talking points Mrs. Averill had provided him. They were supposed to be having a press conference on his new plans for the Aldovian administration. However, Mrs. Averill had warned him this would happen. Besides, how could he respond to a question he didn't know the first thing about?

Mrs. Averill signalled him from the edge of the stage, pointing at her watch. This was her way of saying that he had answered enough questions for the day. He nodded and turned to the reporter.

“We’ve already addressed that incident. If no one has any further questions about our new Aldovian initiatives, I bid you adieu.”

Richard walked quickly off the stage and made his way to his father’s old office, amid shouts from the press. He realized when he got there that this was now  _ his _ office, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever think of it that way. His staff was following close on his tail, but he closed the door begging for a moment of privacy. Richard unbuttoned his blazer before falling back into his father’s heavy leather chair.

“How did you do it?” he asked the portrait of his father, hanging on the opposite wall. “I don’t know how I’ll ever live up to you.”

Richard’s thoughts spun in circles. About how he was adopted, how his father and mother never told him, and about Amber. He saw Amber that day in parliament, when he was crowned king. He’d felt immediate relief seeing her again, regardless of what she had done. He wondered why she had left. He thought about calling her, but had no idea what he’d say. Why hadn’t she reached out? Where was she? Would he ever see her again? Richard stopped himself and rubbed his eyes.

A knock came at the door, followed by Mrs. Averill peeking her head in, holding a file folder stuffed thick with papers. 

“I had the security team put this together for you, your majesty,” she told him, placing the folder on his desk. On the front  _ Amber Moore _ was written in black block letters. “It has our theory about how she was able to get into the palace, and a bit about who she really was.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Averill,” Richard told her breathlessly. He cleared his throat before asking her to leave.

_ December 27th _

Richard was supposed to be proofing a speech his team had drawn up for him, for a ribbon cutting happening later that day. But all he could do was stare at the folder on his desk that he hadn’t been able to bring himself to open. He was afraid of what he’d find there. 

“What’s that?” Richard heard Emily ask from over his shoulder, standing there with her crutches. How had she snuck up on him so quietly?

“Amber…” Emily said quietly, disappointment clear in her voice. “What does it say about her? I keep checking the NowBeat website to see if her story about you has been posted.”

“NowBeat?” Richard asked, taking the folder and hiding it in his desk drawer. Emily rolled her eyes.

“Yes, it’s the magazine Amber works for,” Emily explained. 

“And how do you know so much about her?” Richard asked her, eyebrows raised.

Emily’s own eyebrows went up and she pinched her lips. Richard stared her down and crossed his arms.

“Okay, fine,” Emily said, falling back in a chair next to Richard’s desk. “I figured out she was Amber Moore on like the second day she was here, from snooping on her laptop.”

“Emily!” Richard shouted, standing and crossing his arms. “Why on earth didn’t you say anything?”

“She was the first person in a really long time to treat me like a normal child,” Emily shouted back, crossing her own arms. “Besides, I knew she wasn’t a bad person and I made her promise to write a good article about you. Nothing like what the press had been saying for the last year.”

Richard sat back down, sighed, and pulled the folder out of his desk drawer. He looked at Emily for a brief moment before opening it up.

“I really do miss her,” Emily told him sadly as he began to leaf through the papers. 

_ December 28th _

The sun had set a few hours ago and Richard had just retreated to his suite of rooms after dinner with his family. He was still in his dinner jacket, but had fallen back into the nearest armchair in the dark sitting room from exhaustion. His attaché had stoked the fire and brought him a rock glass of whiskey before quickly retreating for the night. It was just what he had needed to wind down from another busy day. Being king was much more exhausting than he’d realized. He wondered if other kings before him had felt the same way. 

The door creaked open, letting light spill in from the hallway. Emily, in her wheelchair this evening, peaked her head in.

“Richard?” she asked, pushing the door further open. “Are you in there?”

“Yes,” he called out, waving from the airchair. “Over here.”

Emily wheeled in and parked next to him. “It’s so dark in here,” she commented, rustling some papers on her lap.

“Yes, it’s quite nice,” he told her, rubbing his tired eyes.

“I have something for you, if you don’t mind turning the light on,” Emily told him, putting some papers on Richard’s lap. Richard grabbed them before they could fall to the ground and groaned as he stretched to flick on the lamp sitting next to him. As soon as the light came on he blinked for a few seconds, adjusting to the brightness.

Richard smiled at his sister, sitting next to him in her nightgown and robe. He looked down at the stack of papers and saw a picture of himself from the Christmas ball. It was a printout of an article titled, “A KING FOR REAL”. After a beat he realized it was written by Amber Moore, but it wasn’t posted in her magazine. His jaw dropped.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Richard heard Emily say, as she wheeled out of the room.

Richard’s heart beat a mile a minute as he read. The article spoke about how Amber had snuck into the palace, for fear of losing her job, and how she had been mistaken as princess Emily’s tutor. How it had all started with her trying to learn more about the playboy prince, but finding out how genuine, kind, and compassionate the prince, now king, was. It spoke of how proud she was of the new king and how she knew he was going to be a great ruler. It read like a love letter.

A tear slid down Richard’s cheek. He felt a weight lift from his heart and realized he still loved this woman.

He’d been waiting for a sign from her, and now he finally had it.

_ December 29th _

“I read Amber’s article,” Queen Helena said from across the lunch table. Emily, seated next to her mother, looked up. Richard paused, a spoonful of soup halfway to his mouth. He’d been wrestling with himself all morning about it. 

“What did you think?” Richard asked, opting to put the spoon back down. He was too anxious to eat anything else. 

“She captured you perfectly. I don’t think any journalist has ever been able to do that.”

“True,” Richard said, leaning back in his chair. Queen Helena put her own spoon down.

“I understand why she did what she did,” the queen said, staring at his son, searching his face.

“She deceived me,” Richard responded.

“I don’t think she expected to fall in love with you,” his mother retorted, smiling.

“I don’t think--”

“Please stop,” Emily cut in, annoyance clear in her voice. “We’re not blind. We saw how you looked at eachother.”

“Was it that obvious?” Richard asked, his cheeks burning.

His mother and Emily smiled at each other.

“You’d forgive her?” Richard asked his mother. 

“I am not a fan of what she did. But I don’t think she did anything maliciously--she had your adoption papers in her hands and didn’t use them. Sofia and Simon did that. Her article proves that she didn’t have nefarious plans.” 

“Besides,” the queen continued, sitting back in her seat. “That kind of love doesn’t come around often. I’d hate for you to regret not going after her.”

Richard smiled. “You’d approve?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Both of you?”

The queen smiled back and nodded. Emily shook her head in excitement.

“We approve,” Emily told him laughingly.

_ December 30th _

Richard smiled into the fire, one hand resting on the fireplace mantle, one holding a short glass with a finger of bourbon. He was still wearing his black tuxedo from the state dinner earlier, but had retreated to his family’s living room once their guests had left.

“Richard,” Queen Helena called from behind, dressed in a maroon full length gown with gold embellishment on the shoulders, holding a glass with white wine. Richard smiled at her as she walked into the room and sat on the chaise lounge. She set her glass down on the nearest end table with a clink.

“What did you want to speak to us about?”

“I have some news,” Richard told her, smiling, excited about his plans. Once he’d made up his mind earlier that day, he was surprised about how certain and right it had all felt.

A moment later, Emily walked in, leaning on her crutches. Once she sat down next to her mother, Richard moved to sit across from them.

“I am going to New York tomorrow,” he explained, grinning widely. 

“Oh, Richard,” his mother said. “You’re going after Miss Moore.”

“Yes,” Richard said, his heart rate increasing. He wasn't sure how well they’d take what he planned to tell them next.

“I'm going to ask her to marry me,” he said quickly. There was a silent pause for a few moments, until Emily laughed.

“I knew it!” she shouted, getting up to hug her brother. Richard chuckled and held her to him. 

“Mother?” he asked, turning toward Queen Helena. “I know it’s soon, but--”

“I’ll have to get my engagement ring out of the safe,” Helena said, cutting him off, smiling. “Unless you already have one picked out.”

“I don’t,” Richard said quietly. “It’s all so sudden.”

Queen Helena stood and embraced her son. “And you’re sure?” she asked quietly.

“I haven’t been more sure of anything in my life,” Richard told his mother.

“I’m so happy for you, Richard.”

_ December 31st _

In the middle of a snowy New York street, Richard stared through Rudy's Diner window at Amber, willing her to look up and see him.  _ See me _ , he thought to himself. “Look up,” he whispered under his breath. When Amber went on cleaning the table, unaware that he was staring at her, Richard laughed to himself and bent to gather snow. The action was so mindless, the snowball was out of his hand before he realized what he was doing, and in an instant Amber was staring out at him, a look of shock on her face. 

Heart racing, Richard grabbed the ring box in his pocket, all at once terrified she’d reject him but still so happy and excited to see her again. The last few days had felt like an eternity. Richard let out a nervous breath the moment Amber pushed through the diner door clad in a light blue wool coat. A missing piece of Richard’s heart slid back into place and in that moment he knew he had made the right decision. 

“What are you doing here?” Amber asked anxiously, buttoning up her coat. 

“I never had the chance to say goodbye,” Richard explained, hands balled up into fists in his pockets.  _ Be cool _ , he thought to himself, trying to keep his voice from shaking. 

“Or thank you,” he finished. 

Amber looked sad, guilt clear on her face. “You don’t have to thank me,” she told him. “I’m responsible for this whole mess in the first place.”

“No,” he cut her off, shaking his head, smiling. “You opened a door that needed to be opened. That’s what a great reporter does.”

Amber smiled at him and Richard realized his nerves were gone. This was where he was meant to be, this was what he was meant to do. 

“Emily showed me your blog online,” he continued, thinking back to the other day when reading that article had helped him make up his mind. He’d been so conflicted about everything and he’d marveled at how Amber had helped him straighten his head out through her writing.

“She did?” Amber asked, smiling now. 

“Why didn’t you publish it in your magazine?” Richard asked, having been wondering about that since the moment he’d encountered the blog. He’d thought this was the type of story that could make a journalist’s career. 

“Too much schmaltz,” Amber explained, sighing. At Richard’s confused look she explained. 

“It means it was too sentimental. I wrote the truth about you, that’s you’re kind, compassionate. That you stole my cab…”

Richard laughed, feeling lighter.

“...And that you’re going to rule from the heart,” Amber finished. 

“Emily misses you terribly,” Richard told her quickly, his thoughts going a mile a minute now. 

“So do I,” he added softly. His heart was in her hands.

“I miss you, too,” Amber responded, tears beginning to well in her eyes. 

_ Here I go _ , Richard thought, staring into her eyes. 

“A palace is a lonely place for a king,” he said, dropping down to one knee. “Without a queen.”

He pulled out the ring box and opened it, showing Amber his family’s antique engagement ring. Her’s, if she’d have him.

Amber gasped, shock clear on her face. 

“But-but my whole life is in New York,” she cried. 

“Well, we can come back as much as you want,” Richard responded, placating. He knew in that moment that he’d do anything to make her happy, but he wasn’t sure she knew that.

“But my career, I’m not ready to-”

“I don’t want to make you give up anything, Amber,” he cut her off, feeling calm and still holding the ring box up. Amber looked into the diner.

“I could never leave my father.”

“I can give him his own wing in the palace,” Richard responded jokingly, his arm starting to shake. “Or I could buy him his own diner in Aldovia. Or we could just pick this one up and move it.”

Amber laughed, the look of shock and concern giving way to a big happy infectious smile. Richard laughed with her, suddenly realizing the snow had started to soak into his pant leg. 

“How long do you plan to keep a king on his knees?” he asked, smiling. Amber grinned and grabbed his hand, helping him to stand. He looked down at the women he’d been in love with since he’d first held her in his arms during that horseback ride. Was that only a few days ago?

“You haven’t thought about this,” Amber said, smiling sadly, tears spilling over. “I mean, we barely know each other.”

Richard could read the pain clearly on her face and he thought she loved him, too. 

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life,” he rejoined calmly, holding her hands, love shining through his eyes. “And I’ve been known to be indecisive.”

What else could he say, he wondered. He’d be happy to stand here all night explaining why he wanted this.

“Look, I know it’s sudden, but--”

Before he could continue, Amber got up on her toes and kissed him. It was as if electricity was shooting through his entire body. He’d never felt like this before in his life. 

“Is that a yes?” he asked after she pulled back. He knew the answer the moment Amber smiled.

“Yes,” she said softly. “Yes, yes, yes,” she finished, laughing.

Richard slid the ring on her finger and wondered if he was dreaming. Fireworks went off in the background, but Richard only heard them distantly. Amber kissed him again and he knew he could stand there in the cold and snow for a million years if her lips stayed on his. 


	2. New Year's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I'll keep writing chapters! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy :)

When Amber finally pulled away, Richard wondered how long they’d stood like that in the snow in the middle of the street with people walking by. He thought he’d heard fireworks distantly and wondered if it was yet New Year’s day. A few people walking by hooted at them, which brought Richard back to reality.

“Congratulations,” they shouted, laughing. “Happy new year!”

The pair laughed and Amber’s cheeks turned pink. “Happy New Year,” they responded laughingly. Amber turned to the diner window and laughed again. Richard looked to see who he assumed was her father, toasting them with a glass of champagne. 

“I guess we should go in,” Amber said sheepishly, turning her head to look into Richard’s eyes. “Although, I’m not sure how we’ll explain this,” she continued, smiling down at the engagement ring, her hand still in his. Richard fingered the ring, very much elated that she’d said yes.

“Actually,” he responded, his heart beginning to race again. He cleared his throat. “I spoke to him on the phone a few hours ago.”

“What?” Amber asked, shock and amusement on her face.

“I wanted to know where you’d be… and I wanted his blessing,” Richard explained awkwardly, still fiddling with the engagement ring. 

“What did he say?” Amber wrapped her fingers around his tightly to stop him from fidgeting.

“He has complete faith in your judgement.” Richard cleared his throat and met Amber’s eyes. “That, if you liked me, he thought he would as well.”

Amber smiled and dragged Richard toward the diner. Inside, patrons were still celebrating the turning of the year, and didn’t notice the newly crowned king of Aldovia walk across the threshold. 

“Congratulations,” Rudy exclaimed jovially, coming from behind the diner counter with a bottle of champagne and a few empty flutes. 

\--

_ A little while later in Amber’s bedroom _

“This is your mother?” Richard asked, dressed in a white button down shirt and dark jeans, holding a framed photograph of what looked like Rudy, a young Amber with a few missing teeth, and a grinning blonde woman. Amber, still dressed in jeans and her maroon Rudy's diner long sleeved top, walked over and smiled, taking Richard’s arm.

“It is,” she told him, reaching for the photo. “It was halloween - I think I was five. I was a pumpkin.”

Richard smiled widely, affection for that little girl in the photograph filling his heart. “You were very cute.”

“I  _ was _ cute?” Amber asked incredulously.

“You’re much more than cute,” Richard said heatedly, his voice deepening. Amber’s eyes met his. The grip on his arm tightened.

Richard’s lips were on hers before he realized he’d decided to kiss her. He opened his mouth and felt her tongue, causing him to groan in the back of his throat. He pulled her to him and felt the picture frame and Amber’s arm wedged between them. Their kiss deepend and Richard could feel his arousal growing. He didn’t want to ever stop, but pulled back while he still had some of his senses intact.

Amber’s eyes slowly drifted open, the photo of her family gripped tightly against her chest. She looked away and put it down, breathing deeply.

“I want to do this right,” Richard explained weakly, trying to catch his breath, and wondering what she was thinking. 

“Me too,” she agreed, turning to him, her cheeks flushed. 

“Not that I don’t really really want to,” Richard said quickly, his own cheeks burning, his voice still deep, his pants feeling embarrassingly tight. “I really do…”

“I know,” Amber responded, smiling, pointedly not looking down. “I do, too. But--”

“But this is so important.”

Amber nodded and stepped into Richard's arms, wrapping hers tightly around his back. Richard enveloped her in his warmth and stood there swaying until his heart rate slowed. 

“Also,” Richard said after a few minutes, rubbing Amber’s back. “There is an expectation about engaged royals and fraternization…”

“They expect us to wait?” Amber asked, pulling back to lock eyes with Richard. 

“Yes and until we’re married, I think we’ll likely be traveling between New York and Aldovia quite a lot,” Richard explained. “When we’re in Aldovia they won’t allow us to have much time alone.”

“But when we’re in New York?” Amber asked, catching on.

“We’ll have more privacy,” Richard explained, raising his eyebrows. “Unless you would like to wait, I would be--”

“Let's play it by ear,” Amber cut him off, smiling. “And take it slow.”

“Yes,” Richard responded, smiling back. In the background a cuckoo clock called four times. 

“Wow, is it truly 4 am?” Richard asked, turning to look at the clock, coming to reality, thinking of his security detail sitting in the freezing car outside.

“I can’t believe we’ve been talking for three hours.”

“We weren’t just talking,” Richard responded, grinning. He released Amber to slide on his jacket. 

“You look like a kid that just got into the cookie jar,” Amber told him, laughing, reaching out to straighten his collar. 

Richard laughed and put his hands over Amber’s. “I should probably go back to the consulate. Relieve my security detail for the night.”

“Of course,” Amber responded, trying not to look disappointed. She walked him to the front door of the apartment she shared with her father.

“If circumstances were different, I would stay,” he said quietly, facing Amber, placing his hands on her arms, keenly aware of her father sleeping in the other room. The apartment still smelled of the leftover lasagna Rudy had heated up for him earlier.

“I know.” Amber hooked her fingers into Richard’s jacket pockets. 

Richard wanted to tell her he loved her, but suspected he was more aware of his own feelings than she was of hers and was still afraid of scaring her. Instead he kissed her slowly, and rested his forehead against hers.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” he said quietly against her lips.

“You better,” Amber responded.

\--

_ Midday next day _

“This is weird,” Amber said aloud, walking down an empty New York side street with Richard, her hand clasped in his.

Richard looked at her, eyebrows raised in question. Amber smiled.

“This all makes sense in my heart,” she tried to explain. “The fact that I just agreed to marry a man I’ve known for two weeks. I think I’ve spent more time with you yesterday and today than I did before I said yes. And despite all of that, none of it worries me.”

Richard smiled back. “The same things have been going through my mind,” Richard agreed, chuckling and swinging their held hands. 

“Did you tell your mother and Emily before you left?” Amber asked, looking down at her ring.

“Yes,” he told her, following her gaze, his cheeks sore from smiling but unable to stop. “They were both excited. I think they saw something we didn’t. My mother gave me her ring.”

Amber smiled and looked again at the ring on her finger. “This was the queen’s?”

“Yes, it’s been in our family for quite some time. My father proposed to my mother with it, and his father before him. If you don’t like it we can--”

“No, I love it,” Amber said breathlessly, still admiring the ring. “This is really happening.”

Coming upon an intersection, they both stopped and waited for the walk signal. “Becoming queen means things will change for you.”

“Yes,” Amber responded, looking Richard in the eye. “I was up all night thinking about it. I never expected to leave New York. I thought the idea would scare me but it doesn’t. It feels like it’s the right thing to do.”

“I am so happy to hear that,” Richard said, his cheeks burning. “I fear I may be asking too much of you to be with me.”

“It helps that your family is kind and living in a palace doesn’t sound half bad.”

“It’s not even a quarter bad,” Richard responded laughingly. The chirping of the walk signal interrupted them and they made their way across the street.

\--

_ That evening _

“I’ll send you travel arrangements as soon as I get home,” Richard said to Amber, holding her hands. They were standing on the tarmac at JFK international airport, a private jet with the Alodvian coat of arms behind them. A vehicle from the Aldovian consulate was waiting on the other side of them to take Amber home. “I really wish I could have stayed longer.”

“I know,” Amber told him, getting up on her tiptoes to give Richard a quick kiss.

“I can’t wait for you to come to the palace. For everyone to get to know the Amber Moore  _ I _ know.”

“I hope they aren’t too angry with me,” Amber said, frowning. “I feel awful for lying to everyone.”

“I know,” Richard told her quietly, putting his hand on her cheek. “Most of them have read your story by now. It’s mended some fences.”

“I still want to make my apologies, especially to your mother.”

“In a few weeks you’ll have that chance,” Richard responded, rubbing his thumb against the soft skin of her cheek. “I really don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t want you to, either,” Amber said sadly, gripping Richard’s coat between her fingers. 

Richard kissed her again, this time lingering longer, breathing her in and trying to memorize the way she felt. 

“I love you, Richard,” Amber said quietly, her cold hands rising up his chest to his neck. Richard’s breath caught in his throat. 

“You do?” Richard asked, blinking away watery eyes and resting his forehead against Amber’s.

“Yes,” she said breathlessly, kissing him again. 

The moment she pulled back, Richard responded, noting the tears in Amber’s eyes. “I love you, too, Amber.”


End file.
